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Despite all the roles that our feet must play to enable our mobility, to balance our body, to hold up our body weight and to absorb shock, how do we reward them? It’s usually by neglecting the well-being of our feet and confining them in a prison of shoes. We disregard valuable stretching exercises before engaging in physical activities and squish our feet into shoe wear that damages their health. The shoe wear that is being referred to is not just limited to high heels or flip flops, but athletic shoes!
Since when are athletic shoes bad? Tennis shoes themselves are not bad in their entirety – they do provide foot protection from falling objects, significantly assist in shock absorption and redistribute energies in active sporting. However, the constant use of shoes actually inhibits the natural function of feet which can lead to joint and muscle problems elsewhere in the body!
Our feet have evolved to help balance our body and keep us walking upright. The foot is composed of 28 bones which are arranged to form longitudinal and transverse arches. Muscles, tendons and ligaments all help to support the arches. When jogging or running barefoot, our feet are made to land on the ball of the foot to absorb the impact of the ground on our bodies.
Athletic shoes are constructed to cushion and cradle the foot while exercising. The padding that lines those shoes encourages the activist to land on their heels instead of the ball of the foot! As a result, the energies from ground impact traverse right through the heel. The heel is not anatomically equipped to bear such shock. In addition, the heel is in direct line with the ankles, leg, knees, thighs, hips and spine – so any impact the heel experiences distributes right to these bodily areas. Also, the cushioning in the shoes weakens the body’s awareness of foot orientation and contact with the ground which impairs the neurological and muscular feedback that maintains the biomechanics of motion.
It is also important to note that research studies have shown that the quantity of padding is directly related to the amount of impact transferred to the body from the foot. This occurs because the padding interferes with the runner’s ability to feel the ground and as a result the runner strikes their heel more forcefully to the ground leading to increased shock and its transfer to other areas of the body! So remember just because an athletic shoe claims to have the ultimate in comfort and padding, it may not actually be good for your feet!
101 6TH St. NW.
Winter Haven, Fl. 33881
863-299-4551
http://www.FLFootandAnkle.com
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